


What's In A Name?

by Brumeier



Series: Bite Sized Fic [28]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Established Relationship, Kid Fic, M/M, Parenthood, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 04:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6038317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brumeier/pseuds/Brumeier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>LJ Comment Fic for Names & Naming prompt: <i>any. any. naming the new member of the family</i></p><p>In which Rodney struggles to name his son, and John gives him the best advice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What's In A Name?

His first week being a father was a blur for Rodney. There hadn’t been time to prepare, no nine months of planning. And despite the fact that he’d had some experience with babies when Jeannie had been born all those years ago, he found himself floundering. He felt like a failure every time the baby cried and he couldn’t make it stop.

But the first time his son smiled at him, tiny fingers wrapped around Rodney’s thumb, Rodney felt like a hero.

The most difficult thing turned out to be picking a name.

“There are just so many ways to screw it up,” Rodney complained to John, who had the nameless baby carefully cradled in his arms while he tried to feed him his bottle. “It has to be a masculine name, that’s important. You don’t know what it was like, growing up with a name like Meredith.”

“You’re over-thinking this, McKay. His name doesn’t have anything to do with the person he’ll grow up to be.”

“Easy for you to say, _John_. I bet you never got into fights about your name.”

“No. Not my first name.”

“Oh.” Rodney wasn’t sure he should ask for more details about that. He’d never thought that growing up as a Sheppard might be just as problematic as growing up a Meredith.

“Besides, you have plenty of suggestions.”

That was true. They’d compiled quite a list, because of course everyone wanted to weigh in. Every nationality of the expedition members was represented, as well as Athosian and Satedan names.

“I’m not sure Stanislav McKay is the way to go.”

“Better than Einar,” John said with a smirk.

Actually, now that Rodney thought about it, John was the only one who hadn’t offered up any suggestions. Not real ones, anyway. _Doc_ and _Maverick_ never made the written list.

“What would you name him?” Rodney asked. “And I don’t mean joke names.”

John shrugged with one shoulder, all his focus on the baby. “He’s your son, Rodney. This needs to be your decision.”

“Our son,” Rodney automatically corrected. He didn’t care about genetics. John was raising this baby with him, and he deserved to be counted as the baby’s father too. He had no idea why John was reluctant to assume that mantle, but it certainly wasn’t because he didn’t love the baby. The look on his face as he held that bottle steady almost took Rodney’s breath away.

“You really want my advice?”

“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”

John shot him an amused look. “Choose a name that means something to you. Something that fits your manly criteria. When he’s old enough to ask, he’ll know that you didn’t just grab a random name out of a baby book.”

Rodney took his advice to heart, and spent a whole day thinking about the kind of naming legacy he wanted to pass on to his son. When he finally decided, he kept it a secret just a little longer, so he could save it for welcoming ceremony Teyla had organized.

The gathering was small, just their closest friends. Teyla made a special tea, and everyone gave the baby hand-crafted gifts. (Rodney had expected something inappropriately pointy from Ronon, but instead he’d been given a wood-carved ‘jumper that had made John break out in a pleased grin.)

Finally it was time for Rodney to step forward, baby in his arms.

“I gave this a lot of thought,” he said. “And I chose to name my son after the two most important people in my life. One of them was my grandmother, who tried to give me everything my parents couldn’t. Her name was Evelyn Andrews.”

“We know the other one,” Ronon said with a grin, and a pointed look at John.

“Yes, well. So…I’d like to introduce Andrew John McKay-Sheppard.”

John’s mouth was hanging open, and his eyes were suspiciously bright. “Rodney, are you sure? We never talked about that.”

“I’m sure. That’s the best, strongest name I could think of.” 

John surged to his feet and captured Rodney in a gentle embrace, mindful of the baby. “You’re sure?” he asked again.

“He’s your son, too, John.”

Teyla eased the baby out of his arms so he could hug John properly, and give him a chance to blink the tears out of his eyes.

Andrew was a good, strong, masculine name. But three days into having it, people started calling him AJ, and the nickname stuck. In fact, there were those who didn’t even realize what his full name was. Rodney was annoyed about it at first – Andrew was a perfectly good name, there was no reason to shorten it – but then he realized that it didn’t matter. _He_ knew the significance. And so did John.

And AJ was preferable to the nickname his peers gave him when he was older, and everyone was going by their last names. McKay-Sheppard was apparently too much of a mouthful, and so it got shortened to McShep.

Rodney thought that was idiotic, but it always make John grin.


End file.
